1. HENRY1 WITHINGTON, of Leigh, co. Lancaster, England, and Dorchester, Mass., the ancestor of most of those of the name in the United States, was baptized in the parish of Leigh, co. Lancaster, England, 22 Feb. 1589/90, the son of George and Margaret Withington, and died at Dorchester, Mass., 2 Feb. 1666/7. He married first, at Leigh, in Sept. 1615, ANNE LEECH, who was buried at Leigh 26 Sept. 1621, daughter of Richard and Anne (Yate); secondly, at Leigh, 30 Sept. 1622, ELIZABETH SMITH, who died at Dorchester, Mass., 16 Feb. 1660, sister of Thomas Smith, a well-known merchant of London; and thirdly, at Dorchester, in June 1662, MARGERY (TURNER) PAUL, who died at Dorchester 20 May 1676, widow of Richard Paul of Taunton.** A deed of settlement from Henry1 Withington to her is dated 25 June 1662.

*The author will be pleased to receive any further information or, if possible, to answer any inquiry relating to the Withingtons or allied families. He may be addressed at 401 Kraft Building, Des Moines, Iowa.

**All places mentioned in this article are situated within the present limits of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, unless another State or region is indicated in the text or may be easily inferred from the context. The present name of a town or of that part of a town in which an event mentioned in the text occurred is usually given in parentheses after the earlier name.

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With his second wife, Elizabeth (Smith), and his four children, he came to Dorchester, probably in the same ship (the James) with Rev. Richard Mather and his company, arriving 16 Aug. 1635.

He was one of the signers of the covenant by which the Dorchester church was founded, and was the first ruling elder of the church, continuing in that office for twenty-nine years until his death. He was one of the selectmen of Dorchester in 1636, and was otherwise prominent in the affairs of the town and church, though there appears to be no record of his having been made a freeman. He shared in the division of lands in Dorchester, was a blacksmith by trade, and was one of the founders and original shareholders in the first ironworks in the American Colonies, on Mill River in Taunton, evidently intended by their original founder and operator, James Leonard, Sr., to be named for Henry Withington, notwithstanding the corruption of the name to “Whittington” and “Whittenton.” He purchased, 23 Apr. 1638, and occupied the house built on the lot in Dorchester formerly owned by Matthias Sension (or St. John), who went from Dorchester to Windsor, Conn., and was one of the founders of the church there.

Many records attest the fact that he was universally beloved, respected, and trusted. Rev. Richard Mather called him “Beloved Friend,” and made him overseer of his will in 1664. Rev. Samuel Danforth said of him: “A man that excelled in wisdom, meekness and goodness.”

In his will, dated 8, 11 mo., 1664, he says that he is “about the Age of 76 yeares or vpon 77.” The inventory of his estate amounted to £850. 17s. 3d. (REGISTER, vol. 16, pages 52-54.)

Children by first wife, baptized at Leigh, co. Lancaster, England:

i. FAITH,2 bapt. 13 Oct. 1616; came with her father and stepmother to New England; d. at. Dorchester 3 Feb. 1688/9; m. about 1639 RICHARD1 BAKER, said to have been born in co. Kent, Eng., about 1614, d. at Dorchester 25 Oct. 1689. He came first to Boston as first mate of the ship Bachelor, leaving England 18 Aug. 1635, and lived in Dorchester after his marriage. He was a brother of Thomas1 Baker of Roxbury and an uncle of John Baker of Boston. He was admitted freeman in 1642, was a selectman in 1653, a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1658, and in 1668 was elected ruling elder of the church in Dorchester but declined to serve. He was an ancestor of Walter7 Baker, the chocolate manufacturer of Dorchester, whose grandfather, James5 Baker, bought the original chocolate mill of Henry5 Stone (6, ii, 4). (REGISTER, vol. 43, pp. 279 et seq.) Children: 1. Mary, bapt. 14 Feb. 1641; d. 27 Aug. 1714; m. in 1664 Samuel2 Robinson, bapt. 14 June 1640, d. 16 Sept. 1718, s. of William.1 2. John, bapt. 30 apr. 1643; d. 26 Aug. 1690; m. 11 July 1667 Preserved Trott. 3. Sarah, bapt. 22 June 1645; d. 13 Oct. 1688; m. 22 Feb. 1664/5 James2 White, s. of Edward1 (vide infra, 3). 4. Thankful, bapt. 19 Mar. 1646/7; m. William Griggs. 5. Elizabeth, bapt. 27 Oct. 1650; d. young. 6. James, bapt. 30 Apr. 1654; d. unm. 30 Mar. 1721. 7. Elizabeth, bapt. 20 July 1656; m. William Pratt of Weymouth; they set out for South Carolina 22 Oct. 1695. 8. Hannah, b. 9 Jan. 1662; d. 18 Sept. 1690; m. 5 May 1685 John2 Wiswell (Enoch1).

2. RICHARD2 WITHINGTON (Henry1), of Dorchester, baptized at Leigh, co. Lancaster, England, 3 May 1618, died at Dorchester 22 Dec. 1701, “Aged about 84.” He married, about 1648, ELIZABETH2 ELIOT, baptized at Nazeing, co. Essex, England, 8 Apr. 1627, died at Dorchester 18 Apr. 1714, daughter of Philip1 and Elizabeth (Sybthorpe) and niece of Rev. John Eliot, the Apostle to the Indians.

Richard Withington came with his father and stepmother to New England, was admitted a freeman 13 May 1640, was elected a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1646, was deacon of the church in Dorchester in 1668, and was elected several times as a selectman. He was always active and prominent in public affairs.

3. JOHN3 WITHINGTON (Richard,2 Henry1) of Dorchester, born at Dorchester 1 July 1649, died in 1690, being drowned, with forty-six others of the Dorchester military company, of which he was captain, in the expedition of Sir William Phips against Quebec. He married, about 1672, ELIZABETH3 PRESTON, born about 1653, died at Dorchester 19 Nov. 1722, daughter of Daniel2 and Mary. She married secondly, 13 Feb. 1695/6, as his second wife, James2 WHITE, who died 11 Nov. 1713, son of Edward.1 James White’s first wife was Sarah2 Baker (1,i,3), daughter of Richard1 and Faith (Withington).

John Withington was made a freeman 7 May 1673, and was a selectman of Dorchester for three years.

8. RICHARD4 WITHINGTON (John,3 Richard,2 Henry1), of Dorchester, born at Dorchester 1 Aug. 1680, died there 18 Mar. 1748. He married in Boston, 15 May 1707, SARAH ATHERTON, born at Dorchester 8 May 1683, died there 14 Mar. 1762, daughter of Consider and Anna (Annable) and sister of Humphrey Atherton, who married her husband’s sister, Elizabeth Withington (3, ii).

Children, born at Dorchester:

15. i. HOPESTILL,5 b. 2 Sept. 1707.

ii. JOHN, b. 10 Apr. 1710; d. s.p. at Dorchester 22 Apr. 1785; m. (1) at Dorchester, 22 June 1737, SARAH CHILDS, who d. at Dorchester 10 Mar. 1778; m. (2) at Dorchester, 12 Nov. 1778, ANN (MATTOCK) BAKER, widow of his first cousin, Thomas4 Baker (3, viii, 5). John Withington was a soldier in the Revolution, serving as a private in the same regiment and company as his brother Hopestill.

16. iii. SAMUEL, b. 16 May 1714.

17. iv. EBENEZER, b. 2 Mar. 1718/19.

18. v. JOSEPH, b. 22 Jan. 1723/4.

9. SAMUEL4 WITHINGTON (John,3 Richard,2 Henry1), of Dorchester, born at Dorchester 4 May 1684, died 15 Dec. 1726. He married at Dorchester, 11 July 1715, ABIGAIL PIERCE, born at Dorchester 20 Aug. 1694, died there 23 May 1761, daughter of John and Abigail (Thompson). She married secondly, 21 Oct. 1729, Joseph4 Weeks, born 19 Oct. 1701, died 22 May 1751, son of Joseph3 and Sarah (Sumner).